Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Stylish cycling in the heat

Well, probably some people will disagree that temperatures around 33°C are hot (that's 92 F), but I already don't like that kind of a temperature. Still, I can deal with it...

Generally I wear a lot of wide, loose, thin and light-colored cotton clothes. Cycling in them is no problem as the air flow then constantly cools. Even in that suffocating heat we currently have in Vienna. Well, you may want to carry a spare shirt to change with you if you sweat a lot. Choose good sunglasses. And don't ever forget to ride in style :-).

By the way, it's better not to carry a backpack (to avoid sweating on the back) but to put everything necessary in a basket or on the carrier.

What's the summer like in your place and how do you deal with it? Has anybody got good solutions for handling high humidity?

6 comments:

Our "Summer" has been far below average with winds coming from the North. Now, San Francisco is never really warm, but this has been horrid. I have been pissing and moaning about it for weeks to whoever will listen. I long for some nice 80* F weather and a nice ride to the beach....

In Ireland our Weather started off Beautifully,it was Shaping up to be a Beautiful Summer until about two to three Weeks ago then it has all gone South Literally. With Showers and some Floods in Parts of the Country. But it is not Cold as such around 17 - 20 Celsius with Occasional Bursts of Sunshine on some Days. It is Pleasant not to Warm or Humid at all ,so long as you bring a Raincoat you are fine.

I cant stand Bags of any kind Hanging out of my Shoulder or Back,it just drives me Loco cutting in to my Shoulder after awhile. I prefer Panniers it Leaves your Arms Free no Strain,it seems to lead to more Efficient Cycling Less Tiring.

On the Dutch Bike I also have a Huge Carrier on the Front,so I can Carry a Huge Amount of Stuff together with the Carrier on the Back with Panniers. I could do with a Milk Crate for the Front like they have in Amsterdam or a Butchers Basket.

The Sea is very Near us in Dublin and it is Pleasant nearly any time of the Year as the Weather never gets as Cold as other Countries even in Winter but we do Suffer from a lot of Rain.

As to Clothing in the Summer Heat,Loose Light Clothing is Best Ditch the Denim it is to Restrictive anyway. Wear Short Trousers if you have them or in my Case I am wearing ,Crag Hoppers Hiking Trousers with Long Legs these are nice and Soft and Loose and also very Light. But you need Bike Clips as they are a bit Floppy if on an Ordinary Bike without Chainguard, Tee Shirt and in my case a Gortex Coat stuck in my Pannier in case it Rains.

I live in Flagstaff, Arizona in Northern Arizona where is it considerably cooler than Phoenix and Tucson, which are insufferable at the moment. I moved here from Louisville, Kentucky where even in a draught the weather is humid and in the summer the heat is quite bad. The moisture just lies on your skin. I doubt I would have been a committed bike commuter if I still lived in the 'ville. There is little noticable humidity in Arizona, unless you have lived your entire life here and have never experienced 98F and 80% humidity. It is about 90F on my front porch and I am not at all bothered. The sun is intense though at this elevation so sunblock is a must. In the morning when I bike in I typically wear a light sweater or pullover that I stuff in a pannier for my home commute. My hands get really cold in the morning so I always wear gloves.

I live in the deep South of the USA where equal temperatures and humidity are not uncommon. When we get double 90 days (90 degrees and 90% humidity) the best bet is to not cycle at all. However if I do, I wear loose, light weight cotton or linen clothes, ride slow and try to stay on tree lined streets (what few are left!)

I have never been able to fathom why perspiring is considered socially unacceptable, natural fact of life in this part of the country.

My weather is much like Aaron's -- and like him, I try to ride slowly. And I always wear a dress or shorts. This summer I seem to sweat less than I did last year, so being in better condition must be helping.

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Our blog is focused on expressing different views on cycling in everyday life across Europe. We post stories from continental Austria, nordic Finland and sunny Spain, according to our cultural and professional background. Thus a variety of personal stories and scientific issues are covered. We hope to provide a somewhat comprehensive insight in cycling culture and lifestyle in Europe. In keeping with the theme of the blog we make a point why and indeed how a bicycle is an ideal mode of transport, despite of or especially in today's bustling world.